1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of pushbutton assemblies and more specifically to the area of radio tuners which employ mechanical pushbutton assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional pushbutton devices for mechanically tuned radio receivers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,000 and incorporated herein by reference, include spring return pushbutton mechanisms that are slideably mounted in a chassis so that the various pushbuttons are linearly disposed alongside each other. Since most radio tuners of this type, are employed in automotive applications, they are subject to vibration which, in many cases, causes the components to rattle about and create a noise which is perceived as an annoyance to the user. Conventionally, noise reduction is achieved by providing thin sheets of foam rubber or other cellular material along the inner front surface of the chassis in a manner so as to allow the pushbutton slider elements to penetrate therethrough. The function of the cellular material is merely to damp the vibrations of the sliders and reduce the noise. However, the fact that such cellular material is provided as an additional element to the radio tuner and must be cut to the proper size and properly installed adds a cost factor to the tuner.